Wall panel securing means



April 13, 1943. H. HASENBURGER ETAL: v 2,315,424

WALL PANEL SEQUgI-NG MEANS Filed Feb. 12, 1940 v JZ/She ets-Sheet 1;

1 April 13, 1943.

, H. HASENBURGE R ETAL WALL PANEL SECURING MEANS Ffiled Feb. 12, 1940 .2Sheets-Sheet 2 atented r. 13;

WALL PANEL SECURJN G MEANS Henry Hasenburger, Newark, N. J., and HarveyWiley Corbett, New York, N. Y v assignors to Prebilt HousingCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application February12, 1940, Serial No. 318,484

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the building trade and is directed moreparticularly to an apparatusfor securing finishing panels to a buildingframework.

Primarily, the object of the invention is the provision of means forsecuring finishing panels to building studding which will permit thepanels to be attached quickly and easily without the use of nails,screws or other conventional devices. Another objectresides in providingmeans of the character mentioned which do not extend through the panel,therefore permitting it to be kept imperforate and have no exposedfastening elements.

Still another object resides'in the provision of means for attachingpanels to frame structures which will require nothing more than anassembling operation, at the location of the building, without the useof hammers, wrenches or other tools.

A still further object resides in forming the studs of the buildingframework and panels with longitudinally extending grooves and providinga metallic clip having angularly related flange or lip sections whichare positioned in the grooves, the relative position of the flangesserving to lock the panels to the studs and prevent separation thereof.

It is also an-object to provide a panel with a slot in one edge for thereception. of the flanges ofthe securing clips, the edge of the adjacentpanel engaging and holding the clip in seated position to prevent therelease of the panel held thereby.

Another feature of the invention results from providing the edges of thepanels with offset tongue extensions, one thereof being spaced from theframework to provide a recess for the recep tion of the ofiset tongue ofthe adjacent panel, the panel having the tongue spaced from theframework being held to the framework by a clip and serving, through theinterengagement of the tongues, to hold the second panel in assembledrelation.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and theaccompanying drawings in which the invention has been illustrated in oneof its simplest forms.

In the drawings:

Fig.1 is a perspective view of a clip, formed in accordance with thepresent invention, for use in securing wall panels to supporting frames;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a supporting frame and wallpanel held in connection therewith by a clip of the type shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through wall panels assembled with asupporting frame and showing a clip in side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of clip;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of clip providedexpressly for securing ceiling panels to rafters;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through celling panels attached torafters with the clip means shown in Fig. 6, the plane of the sectionextending parallel to the rafter;

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the planeindicated by the line VIII -VIII of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a slightly modified form of ceilingpanel securing clip.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates thewall panel securing clip in its entirety. In this instance, the clip is,formed from sheet metal and includes a body portion 2 of substantiallyrectangular configuration. At one side and integral with the bodyportion is an upstanding wall 3. one vertical edge of which is bent asat Kl to provide a laterally directed lip 5. This lip extends toward oneend of the body portion at a slight angle to the-wall portion 3. Thepurpose of this angular relation is set forth hereafter.

At the end of the body portion opposite that adjacent which the lip 5 isformed, a downwardly directed flange 6 is provided. This flange isdisposed in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of thebody portion rand is adapted to be inserted in a longitudinallyextending slot I provided in one edge of a wall finishing panel 8. Inthe first form of the invention, the slot I is provided in the upperedge of the panel and is slightly spaced from the rear surface thereof.

The edge of the panel in front of the groove is.

offset with respect to that at the rear of the groove to provide anupstanding tongue extension 9 which, when the panel is positioned withits rear surface in engagement with a vertically extending stud ID, willbe spaced from the forward edge of the stud to provide a recesscoextensive with the panel.

In positioning the flange 6 of the clip in the recess or slot 7, theangular lip 5 is inserted in a longitudinally extending slot ll formedin one side surface of the stud ID. 'This slot extends.

into the stud at an angle corresponding to the angle of the lip withrelation to the wall 3. After the lip has been placed in the slot II,the clip is slid downwardly until the flange 6 enters the slot 1 in thepanel. Since the lip 5 is disposed at an angle, the clip will beprevented from moving away from the stud and as the flange 6 ispositioned in the slot I, the panel will be held securely against thestud.

When the next panel is applied, a rearwardly offset tongue extension I2formed on the lower edge thereof will be inserted in the recess betweenthe tongue 9 and the stud ID. This panel will engage the upper surfaceof the body portion 2 of the clip and prevent any upward movement whichmight release the flange 6 from the slot 1. Since the tongue I2 isdisposed between the tongue 9 and the stud, outward movement of thelower edge of the second panel will be precluded. The upper edge of thesecond panel will be secured to the stud by a clip I in the same manneras the panel immediately below. The panels are thus continuously applieduntil the entire frame surface is covered.

While the framework has been illustrated as extending vertically, it isobvious that the same clip and slot formation may be used in panelswhich are to be secured to either horizontally extending or inclinedframe members.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5, the clip is substantially the sameas in the first form but the flange 6a extends upwardly from the body 2arather than downwardly as in the first form. When the modified form ofclip is used, the lower panel 8a is provided with a rearwardly offsettongue I2a which is positioned adjacent the front surface of the studand the lower edge of the second panel will have the slot Ia formedtherein. The tongue 9a of the second panel will be spaced from the rearsurface and will over hang the tongue I 2a of the first panel.

This arrangement provides a lapped construction which will betterpreclude the entrance of moisture from the exterior of the panels.Through the provision of the longitudinally extending slot in the stud,the clips may move vertically with respect to the stud to compensate forexpansion or contraction of the p ing this longitudinal movement, thepanels will be maintained in secure relationship with the frame membersand separation prevented. Due to the particular construction of the clipmembers, it is not necessary to employ the conventional fastening meansin securingthe panels to the frames and the exterior surfaces of thepanels caused byuse of such fastening elements.

, .Aclip designed especially for securing ceiling panels to rafters hasbeen illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive. This clip embodie featuressimilar to the clips described above and includes a body portion I3formed of angularly disposed sections I4, I5 and IS. The section I4 hasa laterally extending lip II projecting from one edge, the lip alsobeing angularly disposed with relation to the section l4 and extendingslightly downwardly therefrom. The section I5 is disposed at rightangles to the section I4 and also extends downwardly from one edgethereof. At its lower end, the section is bent as at l8 to provide thesection I6 which extends under the section I4. At the lower edge of thesection I6, a pair of tongues I9 are formed by cutting a V-shaped notchin the strip of material from which the clip .is.formed. One.ofthese-tongues will be devoid of nail or screw heads or openings isbent so that it will project in the opposite direction from the otherand both tongues are in a plane extending substantially parallel to theplane of the section I4.

As shown in Figs. '7 and 8, when the clip is used to secure the ceilingpanels 20 to a rafter 2!, the tongues or prongs I 9 are embedded in theedges of a pair of adjacent panels and the lip I1 is disposed in alongitudinally extending channel 22 formed in the side wall of therafter 2|. In assembling the panels to the rafters, the clip is placedwith the lip II in the slot 22 and the first panel is in engagement withthe lower edge of the rafter, after which the clip is slid along therafter until the first tongue I9 is embedded in the edge of the panel.Since the lip is supported by the rafter and the tongue is embedded inthe panelfthe latter will be prevented from moving away from the rafter.

A second panel is then placed in engagement with the lower edge of therafter and slid along this edge until the second tongue is embedded inthe edge of the panel abutting the edge of the first panel. In thepresent instance, the panels have a tongue and groove joint formed attheir edges to provide a better connection and improve the appearance ofthe ceiling. The section I5 is angularly disposed to permit the clip toextend between the adjoining edges of the panel and conform to theinclination of the sides of the tongue and groove. If the panels havestraight abutting edges, the section I6 could be made parallel to thesection l5.-

In some instances, it may be desirable to provide clips on both sides ofthe rafters and if a single lip I1 is provided, one right and one lefthand clip will be necessary. To avoid making right and left handedclips, a clip such as that shown in Fig. 9, indicated by the numeral 23,may be used. This clip has the body section I4a provided with anangularly extending lip IIa on each side. When the clip is positioned onone side of the rafter, one lip I'Ia will be in the slot 22 and when theclip is positioned on the other side of the rafter, the other lip willbe in the groove. The relation of the section l6 and the tongues I9 isthe same in both instances to permit them to register with the jointbetween a pair of adjacent panels.

It will be noted that with the use of the ceiling clip above described,the ceiling panels may be permitted to expand and contract withoutdestroying the connection between them and the rafters, the clip beingcapable of movement longitudinally of the rafters by reason of theconstruction of the lip and the slot.

While the invention has been illustrated in its preferred forms, it isobvious that many minor changes may be made in the construction andrelation of the various parts thereof without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

1. In building construction, an elongated stud having a longitudinallyextending slot formed in one side thereof, a finish panel positioned infront of said stud, said panel having a slot formed in one edge, and aclip for securing said panel to said stud, said clip comprising a sheetmetal body portion having a pair of angularly disposed lips, one of saidlips being positioned in the slot in said stud and the other lip beingreceived by the slot in said panel.

2. In building construction, an elongated stud having a longitudinallyextending slot formed in one..side,.said slot extending into said studat an angle to the side surface, a panel disposed in engagement with oneedge of said stud, said panel having a longitudinally extending slot inone edge, clip means for securing said panel to said stud, said clipcomprising a sheet metal body having integral lips extending therefrom,one of said lips being disposed at the side of said body and positionedin the slot in' said stud,

the other lip being formed at the end of said body and positioned in theslot in the edge of said panel.

3. ln-building construction, a vertically extending stud having alongitudinally extending slot entering one side at an acute angle, apanel disposed at right angles to the stud and engaging one edgethereof, a tongue extension provided on one edge of said panel, saidpanel edge being formed with a longitudinally extending slot at the sideof said tongue, said tongue and slot being spaced from the stud toprovide a recess, a clip disposed at the slotted side of said stud, saidclip having a lip positioned in the slot in said stud, a second lipformed on the outer end of said clip, said second lip being disposed inthe slot in said panel, and a second panel positioned in engagement withsaid stud adjacent the first panel, said second panel having a tongue onone edge disposed in the recess formed by the first tongue and the stud,said second panel serving to hold said clip in panel securing relation.

4. In building construction, a frame member 1 having an elongated slotformed in one side thereof, a finish panel positioned in front of saidframe member, clip means for securing said panel to said frame membercomprising a sheet metal body portion, a lip projecting from one edge ofsaid body portion, said lip being disposed in the slot in said framemember, a second lip projecting from an edge of said body portiondisposed at right angles to the edge occupied by said first lip, saidsecond lip being inserted in the edge of said panel.

5. In building construction, a frame member having an elongated slotformed in one side thereof, a finish panel positioned in front of saidframe member, clip means for securing said panel to said frame membercomprising a sheet metal body portion, a lip projecting from said bodyportion, said lip being positioned for longitudinal adjustment in theslot in said frame member,'and mean formed on said clip for receivingand holding said panel.

6. In building construction, an elongated stud having a longitudinallyextending slot formed in one side thereof, a finish panel positioned infront of said stud, said panel having a slot formed in one edge, and aclip for securing said panel to said stud, said clip comprising a sheetmetal body disposed at right angles to the slotted side of said stud, aflange formed on said body and positioned with one surface thereof inengagement with the slotted side of said stud, a lip projecting from oneedge of said flange into the slot in said stud, and a second lipprojecting from one edge of said body, said second lip being disposed inthe slot in'the edge of said panel.

7. In building construction, a frame membe) having an elongated slotformed in one side thereof, a finish panel positioned in front of saidframe member, clip means for securing said panel to said frame membercomprising a sheet metal body portion disposed at right angles to i theslotted side of said stud, a lip projecting from one edge of said bodyportion into the slot in said frame member, a flange extending from anedge of said body portion disposed at right angles to theedge occupiedby said lip, and

tongue means formed on a free edge of said flange, said tongue meansbeing disposed in parallel relationship to said body portion andinserted in an edge of said finish panel.

HENRY HASENBURGER. HARVEY WILEY CORBETT.

